Work Truck Magazine, December 2018

DECEMBER 2018 WORK TRUCK 27 quicker cold starts less noise and better throttle response Particular to the work truck industry one of the main benefits is the fact that renewable diesel is a direct replacement fuel that can be used in existing heavy duty diesel engines without any modification Since it is hydrogenated it doesnt contain oxygen meaning fleets are not faced with any cold weather water attraction or storage challenges according to Leuck of Neste US Our renewable diesel can also significantly reduce a work truck fleets carbon footprint Finally fleets focused on total uptime or experiencing recurring injector and DPF maintenance issues should see improvement in the use of renewable diesel It is a cleaner drier and superior performing fuel to wholesale ASTM diesel Fleets with a high amount of idling and stop and go will particularly benefit Fleets such as utility bucket trucks or garbage haulers report renewable diesel is described to significantly reduce the maintenance cost of a modern clean diesel truck Fitz said AVAILABILITY FUTURE GROWTH In the U S nearly 7 billion metric tons of GHG are emitted each year and more than 28 come directly from the transportation industry Diesel emissions have been reduced by nearly 95 since the implementation of Diesel Particulate Filters DPF and Selective Catalytic Reduction SCR but recently the federal government imposed further regulations to tighten emissions and improve the fuel economy for heavy duty trucks by up to 25 from now through 2027 said Leuck of Neste US Global demand for cleaner fuels is constantly growing and more and more companies around the world are investing in renewable diesel technology Right now renewable diesel fuel is not widely available mainly used in the west coast states of Washington Oregon and California But plants are under construction and the demand and need for this cleaner burning fuel is present Quite a few plants are currently under construction and we expect traditional refiners to also start producing this fuel Still as the largest producer in the U S the Renewable Energy Group describes this extra capacity is like water in a desert as supply is so short of demand currently Fitz noted Lokey of Sunshine Biofuels believes that renewable diesel will eventually replace biodiesel It is a much easier and more beneficial product for the petroleum supply chain and technology to process it from lower cost feedstocks or renewable sources are developing that make it more cost competitive than other solutions Lokey said And while domestic production is increasing McCormick of NREL noted that for it to become much more widespread will require the development of a much larger resource of fats and oils feedstocks WT nance cleaner burning and no odor Renewable diesel is an advanced biofuel meaning it provided greater than 50 lifecycle greenhouse gas GHG emissions reduction relative to petroleum derived diesel explained McCormick of NREL Several experts noted the cleaner burning properties of the fuel It is a cleaner burning low CO2 fuel with a better performance characteristic seen in more power fewer regens in DPFs and many fleets state they see better mileage said Fitz of Star Oilco An added benefit is related to fuel storage Renewable diesel can be stored for a long time with no deterioration in quality or water accumulation which can promote microbial growth according to Leuck of Neste US Its similarity to petroleum derived diesel means there are no infrastructure or vehicle compatibility issues Renewable diesel can be blended with conventional diesel at any level Additionally there is little to no odor Unlike other diesel fuels renewable diesel contains no aromatics or impurities producing no odor and allowing fuel to combust with maximum efficiency while decreasing the frequency of injector maintenance and diesel particulate filter regenerations Plus no odor means its less harmful for drivers handlers and the environment Drivers wont be inhaling harmful fumes all day or going home smelling like diesel according to Leuck of Neste US Renewable diesel also experiences improved performance in cold weather featuring a low cloud point for superior cold weather performance and a high cetane number that ensures NREL Principal Engineer on Fuel and Performance Robert McCormick examines a biodiesel sample in the fuel Chemistry Laboratory PHOTO NREL PHOTO NESTE US

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